Cylinder block for an internal combustion engine and an engine including said block



M. DANGAUTHIER CYLINDER BLOCK FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND AN ENGINE INCLUDING SAID BLOCK Filed May 12, 1965 msm wcm :m Q

April 25, 1967 United States Patent O s claims. (ci. 12s-41.28)

The present invention relates to internal combustion engines and more particularly to cylinder blocks of light or other metal which are cast in metal moulds (for example die cast or pressure cast) and receive in each cylinder a detachable so-called wet liner. Wet liner is intended to mean a liner whose outer face is in direct contact with a cooling liquid, this liner being detachable in that it is easily removed and replaced.

In known engines of the type having wet liners either of the following two arrangements are employed for their assembly.

The rst known arrangement is of the so-called compressed liner type. The liner rests, in the region thereof near the base, on a shoulder formed in the cylinder block. The upper edge of the liner is on a level with the upper face of the cylinder and the liner is clamped axially between said shoulder and an upper gasket constituting a fire ring by the cylinder head itself which is clamped onto the cylinder block. In this arrangement, the sleeve cannot expand in a way different from the cylinder or create deformations and the water chamber or jacket pertaining to each cylinder is Aformed above the shoulder of the cylinder block by the cylindrical inner face of the cylinder block which communicates with the upper face of the block without any undercut.

The second arrangement of the socalled free expansion type comprises a liner provided with an Iupper outer iiange which bears on an inner flange of the cylinder block forming a shoulder, while the lower part of the liner is slidable in the block, a water seal, for example formed -by a rubber ring having a rectangular cross-section, being disposed at the base of the liner around the latter between two facing shoulders of the liner and block, this seal having sufcient elasticity not to resist differences in the expansion between the liner and the guiding of said part in the cylinder block. In this second arrangement, the water chamber is formed between the liner and a portion of the inner yface of the cylinder block between the upper inner ange on which the liner rests and the lower shoulder which receives the water seal. This part of the inner face of the cylinder block has necessarily a diameter exceeding those of the upper ilange and the lower shoulder and thus has an undercut.

When the cylinder block must be cast in a metal mould, said first arrangement presents no difficulty since there is no underc-ut. On the other hand, if it is desired to benefit from the technical advantages of said second arrangement, there is only one solution known at the present time which consists in constructing the cylinder block in two parts which are assembled in a plan perpendicular to the cylinders, but this of course weakens the block.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cylinder block of light or other metal cast in a metal mould and having freely expansible wet liners, said block being so arranged that an undercut therein is avoided so that the kblock can `be made in one piece.

. This is achieved owing to the fact that each water chamber or jacket containing the cooling liquid is formed between, on one hand, an inner cylindrical face of the cylinder 'block which starts at a lower shoulder for re- ICC ceiving a lower seal and communicates freely with an upper rebate forming a shoulder providing a support for an upper flange of the liner and, on the other, a recess formed substantially on the entire vertical extent of the outer face of the liner between said upper flange and a lower flange adapted to bear on said lower seal, said chamber communicating with a cooling liquid supply manifold formed in the cylinder block through one or several apertures and a cavity which are oblique and provided in the wall of the cylinder block, said aperture or apertures and cavity having such Obliquity that extensions of the generatrices thereof pass within the contour of said rebate and thus permit the easy withdrawal of the corresponding core of the casting mould.

According to another feature of the invention, the cylinder block comprises solid walls between the various cylinders which extend from the bottom of the rebates to the bearings of the crankshaft, the supply of the iluid to the chambers pertaining to the various cylinders being effected by said manifold which extends laterally over roughly the entire length of the cylinder block.

According to a further feature, the cylinder block comprises, starting at the face thereof on which the cylinder head bears, oblique apertures leading to the water chambers and permitting the supply of water or other cooling liquid to the head from said manifold by way of said chambers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine provided with the above-mentioned cylinder block, the latter having if desired only one cylinder in the extreme case.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description with reference to the -accompanying drawings to which the invention is in no way limited.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of an improved cylinder block according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is, on the left side, a half cross-sectional view in a vertical radial plane intersecting the axis of the liner and, on the right side, a half sectional view in a plane parallel to the preceding plane, and

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view in different or stepped horizontal planes, the line 2 2 indicating the two section planes of FIG. 2.

In the illustrated embodiment, which relates to a fourcylinder engine, the cylinder block 1 of light alloy, such as aluminum or other alloy, comprises as many cylindrical housings 2 as there are cylinders. Each cylindrical housing 2 is stepped in such manner as to have diameters d1, d2, d3 which increase in the upward direction from d1 to d3 and therefore provide two shoulders 3 and 4.

The lower shoulder 3 is adapted to receive a llexible seal 5 on which bears through the medium of a lower flange 6 a liner 7 of the wet type which is freely expansible owing to the deformability of said seal. The liner 7 bears through the medium of an upper flange 9 directly on the shoulder 4 against which it is maintained by a cylinder head C secured directly to the upper face 10 of the cylinder block.

It will be observed that the various cylindrical housings 2 pertaining to the various cylinders are distinct from each other and iluidtight partition walls 11 separate them as clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The water chamber or jacket 12 pertaining to each cylinder and adapted to receive 4the water or other cooling liquid, is formed between the portion having diameter d2 of the cylinder housing 2 of the cylinder block and a cylindrical face 13 having a diameter less than d2 and formed by machining or casting on the liner 7 between the flange 6 which bears against the seal 5 and a point located in the immediate vicinity of the upper flange 9 which bears directly against the upper part of the cylinder block. It will be understood that it concerns an annular chamber having a relatively small radial extent yet suflicient to form an appropriate sheet of cooling liquid. The latter is supplied to the various cylinders by a common manifold 14 formed directly in the cylinder block in line with the lower portions 2a, having diameter d, of the inner cylindrical faces 2. The manifold consists of the combination of a recess extending over substantially the entire horizontal length of the cylinder block and a lateral cover 1S secured in a lluidtight manner against said recess. Said manifold is provided with a preferably central cooling liquid inlet 16 (see FIG. 3).

The manifold communicates with each chamber 12 individually by way of the combination of one or several apertures 17 and a cavity 18 formed in the wall of the cylinder block (see FlGS. 2 and 3), this or these apertures 17 and the cavity 18 being disposed obliquely in such manner that the extended generatrices thereof pass inside the contour of the rebate 4 so that the core adapted to for-m this or these apertures and the cavity when casting can be easily withdrawn by shifting it upwardly and toward the axis of the cylindrical housing 2.

It will be -observed that other oblique apertures, the cores of which can be withdrawn in the same manner, are formed at 19 in the upper part of the cylinder block. These apertures communicate with the upper face 1t) of the cylinder block so as to supply cooling liquid to the cylinder head C from the manifold 14 via the chambers 2.

FIGS. l and 2 show at 2li the upper half-hearings adapted to receive the crankshaft. The intermediate partition walls 11 which partition oil the various cylindrical housings 2 extend from the rebates 4 down to said halfbearings 2G.

The construction just described has in particular the following advantages:

(a) The cylindrical faces 2 are perfectly easily stripped from the die or mould with their cavities 18 and apertures 17 even when use is made of perfectly rigid cores which cannot be broken up, and this permits casting under pressure in a metal die. The cylinder block can Itherefore be cast in one piece and is consequently stronger and easier to produce,

(b) The strength of this cylinder block is still further increased owing to the presence of the partition walls 11 separating the various cylindrical bores.

(c) The various cylinders are cooled in parallel and this can if desired afford, by the choice of the aperture 17, a differential cooling of the various cylinders, as some cylinders may require a more intense cooling than others.

Such a differential cooling is only possible with a cooling in parallel which is incompatible with the usual arrangement in which the water or other cooling liquid circulates usually from one cylinder to the other from the water inlet in the engine to the apertures feeding the liquid to the cylinder head.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described, many modifications and changes may be made -therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having now described my invention what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A die-cast cylinder block for an internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder formed in the block and a detachable wet and freely expansible liner mounted in the cylinder, the cylinder having an inner cylindrical face, a lower inwardly extending shoulder at the bottom of the cylindrical face, an upper `rebate adjacent the top of the block and located at the top of the cylindrical face, the liner having a recess on the outer face of the liner, an upper outer flange at the top of the recess, a lower outer flange at the bottom of the recess, a lower annular seal interposed between the lower flange and the lower shoulder, the upper flange being supported by the rebate, a cooling liquid chamber defined by the recess of the liner and the cylindrical face of the cylinder, a cooling liquid supply manifold in the cylinder block, a cavity in the cylindrical face of the cylinder, an aperture in the block putting the cavity in communication with the manifold, the aperture and the cavity extending in an oblique direction relative to the axis of the cylinder, said Obliquity being such that extensions of the generatrices of the aperture and the cavity are within the contour of the rebate, whereby the core of the casting die employed for producing the cylinder block can be easily withdrawn after casting.

2. A die-cast cylinder block for `an internal combustion engine comprising a plurality of cylinders formed in the block and de-tachable wet and freely expansible liners respectively mounted in the cylinders, each cylinder having an inner cylindrical face, a lower inwardly extending shoulder at the bottom of the cylindrical face, an upper rebate adjacent the top of the block and located at the top of the cylindrical face, the corresponding liner having a recess on the outer face of the liner, an Lipper flange at the top of the recess, a lower outer flange at the bottom of the recess, a lower annular seal interposed between the lower llange and the lower shoulder, the upper flange being supported by the rebate, a cooling liquid chamber defined by the recess of the liner and the cylindrical face of the cylinder, a cooling liquid supply manifold in the cylinder block, a cavity in the cylindrical face of the cylinder, an aperture in the block putting the cavity in cornmunication with the manifold, the aperture and the cavity extending in an oblique direction relative to the axis of the cylinder, said Obliquity being such that extensions of the generatrices of the aperture and the cavity are within the contour of -the rebate, whereby the core of the casting die employed for producing the cylinder block can be easily withdrawn after casting, the cylinder block comprising solid walls between the cylinders, bearings for a crankshaft, said walls extending from the bottom of the rebates to said bearings, said manifold extending laterally over roughly the entire length of the cylinder block.

3. A die-cast cylinder block as claimed in claim 1, further comprising oblique apertures, formed in the block and putting the cooling liquid chamber in communication with the top of `the block which receives the cylinder head, whereby the cylinder head can be supplied with cooling liquid from the manifold by way of the chamber and said apertures.

4. A die-cast cylinder block as claimed in claim 2., further comprising oblique apertures formed in the block and putting the cooling liquid chambers in communication with the top of the block which receives the cylinder head, whereby the cylinder head can be supplied with cooling liquid from the manifold by way of the chambers and said apertures.

5. Internal combustion engine including a cylinder block comprising a plurality of cylinders formed in the block and detachable wet and freely expansible liners respectively mounted in the cylinders, each cylinder having an inner cylindrical face, a lower inwardly extending shoulder at the bottom of the cylindrical face, an upper rebate adjacent the top of the block and located at the top of the cylindrical face, the corresponding liner having a recess on the outer face of the liner, an upper outer flange at the top of the recess, a lower outer flange at the bottom of the recess, a lower annular seal interposed between the lower flange and the lower shoulder, the upper frange being supported by the rebate, a cooling liquid chamber dened by the recess of the liner and the cylindrical face of the cylinder, a cooling liquid supply manifold in the cylinder block, a cavity in the cylindrical face of the cylinder, an aperture in the block putting the cavity in communication with the manifold, the aperture and the cavity extending in an oblique direction relative to the axis of the cylinder, said Obliquity being such that extensions of the generatrices of the aperture and the cavity are within the contour of the rebate, whereby the core 3,315,651 5 6 of the casting die employed for producing the cylinder FOREIGN PATENTS block can be easily withdrawn after casting. 391 386 4/1933 Great Britain.

References Cited by the Examiner 518,868 3/1940 Great Brftan- UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 601,894 5/ 1948 Great Brltam. 1,347,478 7/ 1920 Diamond- MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examfmfr.A

2,023,967 12/1935 M r' t l. 21085810 7/1937 Ljgnto A. L. SMITH, Asszstant Exwmzner. 

1. A DIE-CAST CYLINDER BLOCK FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE COMPRISING A CYLINDER FORMED IN THE BLOCK AND A DETACHABLE WET AND FREELY EXPANSIBLE LINER MOUNTED IN THE CYLINDER, THE CYLINDER HAVING AN INNER CYLINDRICAL FACE, A LOWER INWARDLY EXTENDING SHOULDER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CYLINDRICAL FACE, AN UPPER REBATE ADJACENT THE TOP OF THE BLOCK AND LOCATED AT THE TOP OF THE CYLINDRICAL FACE, THE LINER HAVING A RECESS ON THE OUTER FACE OF THE LINER, AN UPPER OUTER FLANGE AT THE TOP OF THE RECESS, A LOWER OUTER FLANGE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RECESS, A LOWER ANNULAR SEAL INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE LOWER FLANGE AND THE LOWER SHOULDER, THE UPPER FLANGE BEING SUPPORTED BY THE REBATE, A COOLING LIQUID CHAMBER DEFINED BY THE RECESS OF THE LINER AND THE CYLINDRICAL FACE OF THE CYLINDER, A COOLING LIQUID SUPPLY MANIFOLD IN THE CYLINDER BLOCK, A CAVITY IN THE CYLINDRICAL FACE OF THE CYLINDER, AN APERTURE IN THE BLOCK PUTTING THE CAVITY IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE MANIFOLD, THE APERTURE AND THE CAVITY EXTENDING IN AN OBLIQUE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE AXIS OF THE CYLINDER, SAID OBLIQUITY BEING SUCH THAT EXTENSIONS OF THE GENERATRICES OF THE APERTURE AND THE CAVITY ARE WITHIN THE CONTOUR OF THE REBATE, WHEREBY THE CORE OF THE CASTING DIE EMPLOYED FOR PRODUCING THE CYLINDER BLOCK CAN BE EASILY WITHDRAWN AFTER CASTING 